Sighting ordnance.



R. w. SMITH. SIGHTING ORDNANCE.

(Application filed Dec. 26, 1900.)

Patented June 25, I901.

- (No Model.)

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No. 677,285. Patented June 25, IBM. R. W. SMITH.

SIGHTING URDNANCE. [Application filed Dec. 28, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shut 3.

Nrrn STATES ATENT SIGHTING ORDNANCE.

SPECIFIOATIQN forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 677,285, dated June 25, 1901.

Application filed December 26, 1900. Serial No. 41,019. (No model.)

T0 at whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT WILLIAM SMITH, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at UpcliHe,Filey, in the county of York, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sighting Ordnance, (for which I have made application for patent in Great Britain under date the 28th of May, 1900, No. 9,765,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention refers to the arrangement and combination of devices for sighting ordnance, all as hereinafter describedand claimed, for use with garrison, field, and all gun-mounts which are or may be made absolutely stationary and whereby after a gun has been placed in position a complete and detailed chart or record of the zone of fire of the gun can be mechanically and rapidly obtained while the light permits, such chart or record being so arranged that in conjunction with indicating means the gun may be trained upon any desired point within the zone of fire during darkness or when the objects to be aimed at are otherwise obscured-as, for instance, by fog, dust, or the like.

My invention will be understood by describing an example of its application with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a gun and mount with my invention applied thereto, Fig. 2 being a plan of same; Fig. 3, a diagram for determining the form of the plate upon which the record is produced and the curvature of the sight-bar, and Fig. 4 an explanatory perspective view to illustrate the operation of the invention.

The drawings are, as above stated, intended to be used for the purpose of obtaining a proper understanding of my invention; but my said invention is in no way limited to any particular class of ordnance, but is capable of general application, as will be gathered from the following description.

According to my invention I provide a record-plate A, upon which the aforesaid chart is to be produced, such plate having a convex-curved surface determined by the centers of motion of the gun, as hereinafter described. This record-plate A, which may be either transparent, translucent, or opaque, is carried by a suitable framework from the carriage or stationary mounting of the gun. In the drawings the plate Ais mounted in a frame B and carried from a band 0 upon the stationary mounting or base D of the gun and may be adjusted thereon, if required.

The front sight of the gun is indicated at E and may be of any approved construction.

The rear sight of the gun is indicated at F and is adjustable in guides F, being further provided with a projecting arm or extension G. The arm G carries at its outer end a pointer, indicating-needle, or tracer G, which, with the arm G, follows the movements of the breech of the gun when the latter is being trained and elevated, and the curvature of the record-plate A is such that the tracer or pointer G will in all its movements be equally distant from or in contact with the surface of the said plate A. A true record may thus be obtained upon the plate A of the movements of the tracer which is likewise indicative of the movements of the gun.

The trunnions H of the gun are arranged, as shown at Fig. 1, forward of the training pivot or center J, Fig. 2, and the distance of such trunnions from the pivot J and the curve of the plate A are obtained as I will now de scribe with reference to the diagram Fig. 3. From the center G (which represents the pointer "G of Figs. 1 and 2) I describe a circle with the radius J, (J being the point where the axes of the gun and training-pivot intersect.) The trunnion-axis should then be so much in front of the training-pivot J that it lies in a line J J tangential to the circle J Thus the axis of trunnions J J touches the circle J at J at the same distance from the axis of the gun as the pointer G. This done the pointer G will describe when the gun is elevated a part of a circle of exactly the same radius as it does when the gun is trained. These circles, as J, thus determine the convexity of the surface of the record-plate A, and the rear sighting-bar F is also curved to conform to a segment of the same circle J it being capable, as aforesaid, of being moved up or down in the guides F, which are also curved.

A magnifying and inverting lens (indicated at K, Fig. 1) is fitted to llllG'filllYlG", carrying the pointer or tracer G, in order to accurately ascertain the position of the latter relatively the illustration.

to any point upon the convex surface.

The invention is brought into operation as I will now describe with reference to Fig. 4, which shows in perspective so much of a gun with my improvements fitted thereto as will; be necessary to describe the operation thereof. The gun having been placed in position, a' continuous sighting of theoutline of the zone; of fire is carefully made, the tracer G during this operation producing upon the convex surface A an inverted diagram of the same, as shown, or sightings may be madeat several; sa'lien't points inthe zone of fire and recorded-j by means of needle-prick-s on the convex sur-i face A. An illustration may nowbe made of! thezone of-fire corresponding tothediagram or other record produced and thensecu redupo'nf the convex surface A, the diagram or ot'her record and the illustration bein'garranged soj that corresponding parts coincide. A'com-f ple'te record of all the features in the-zone of; fire is'thus-obtained, and by placing the in-; dicator-needle or tracerG upon anypoint'ing the illustration when the gun-sight F has; been-adj-us'tedto the proper range itisthere i by accurately aimed at the object cor-re spondingto that indicatedbythe tracer Gr"in The illustrated recordispreferably plotte'd out by lines, which will show thevariousg range-zones in Which-the different objectsre-i eorded thereon are situated. 7

Elf desired,suitable means anay bepro-videdi foriilluminatiug the convex surface of the, record-plate A, or the latter, as before men-g tioned,1may 'be transparent or translucent; an'dbe illuminated from the side opposite to; the :pointer. i

When the record-plate A-i-s made, 'sa-y,i translucent, lights, suchas gun-flashes on thei enemys =position, may be located on'the saidi plate A bythe latter having upon 'it a pic-i tureof the enemiys position similar to that; on a photographic negative, but positivei The convexsurface of plate Awould then bei fitted-a'tasuita'ble distance in front thereof? with apiu holelens-or a telephoto-lens, which wouldallow therays of light to fall upon thef convex surface A. By these-means when the; lights orfias'hes appearupon'the convex sur-S faceA their relation to the physical=featuresi cou'ld'be determined and they couldbe fired upon.

What Iclaim as my invention to-secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In sighting ordnance, the combination with a rear sighting-bar adjustable-in et vertical plane, guides upon the gun to carry 'thei sighting-bar, an arm extendinglaterally fronri the rear sighting-bar and fixed thereto, and ai and desirel traoing pointer upon the extremity of the surface of the record-plate, whereby an inverted diagram of the zone of fire is'produced upon therplate, to enable the gun to be afterward aimed at required points in the zone of fire when the actual points are invisible, substantially as set fort 2.. In sighting ordnance, the combination with a rear sighting-bar adjustable in a Vertical plane, guides upon the gun to carry the sighting-bar, an arm extending laterallyfrom the rear sightingbar-and fiXBd thereto,-and a tracing-pointer upon the extrem-ity of the said :arm; of I a convex-cu rved stationarymecord-plate,means for su'pportingthe said plate from the-car'riage of the gun, the curvature and location of 'theLplate beingsuch that when the-gun is trained or elevated-the traclug-pointer is always in-contactwith the-sur face of the record-plate, whereby the salient points in -thezone of fire-are loca'ted on the said :plate, to'en'able the gun to be afterward aimedtat requiredpoints in the zone of fire when the-actualpoints are invisible, su'bstan' 'tially as set forth.

3. in sighti'ngprdna'nce the combination Witlra curvedrear si-ghting bar,curved guides upon theigun toca'rry the said sighting-bar and :to allow of ad j ustmento'f the latter in a vertical plane a curved armextendingfla'terallyrfrom the sighting-bar, and a tracingpointer-'upon the extremity ofthe said-arm; of 'a stationary convex-curved record p'late, meansfor'suppor'ting the-saidlplate fromthe carriage of the gun, avertica'l :pivot about which the gun'is trained,and:trunnions located forward ofthe vertical-pi vot,about-whichtrunnions thegun is elevated, the-curvature 0f the plate and of the sightingbarcoinciding with-a-circle struck from the pointer 'ascem ter,passing through the intersection of -the aXis-ofthegun and the training-a-Xis,and' be;

ing tangential to theextension of thetrunnion-axis, whereby the .pointer "will always be in-contact withthe surface'o'f the convex record-plate, when either'trainedorelevated, and an inverted diagram of 'the zonebf fire be' thereby produced on the p'la'te for use in afterward aiming thegun, when the points aimed at are invisible,substantially as set forth.

4. In sighting ordnance, the combination with a convex record-plate, and means .for carrying same from the gun-carriage; of a rear curved sighting-bar, guides uponthe gun tocarr-y the said bar, an arm extending from the bar laterally, a tracing-pointer carried at'the'extremity of the said arm, the'curvature-oftherecord-plate and-of the sighting bar being such thatthe distance of the'pointer plate to be accurately observed, substantially as set forth.

ROBERT WILLIAM SMITH.

Witnesses:

GRIFFITH BREWER, JOHN J OWETT. 

